ScrapHappy September 2018

I am so happy to join this group! I have been wanting to get something finished for the monthly Scrap Happy Day on the 15th, and I finally made it.

I bought big bags of solid-colored scraps at a guild sale, three years ago.

I finally got around to cutting and piecing them, a year and three months ago. I ended up naming this quilt Chips and Salsa, because I had the age-old problem of running out of a fabric I wanted for that “perfect” combination, having too much of another, then running out of a different fabric, and so on. So I did have to buy some new fabric to augment the scraps. But I think using Other People’s Scraps counts double. 🙂

When I finally started to quilt, my sewing machine seemed to give up the ghost, at least as far as handling a big quilt being moved in all directions. The thread broke constantly, no matter what variables I changed.

So I finally ordered a Juki sewing machine, which I learned about when I started following Doreen on Treadlemusic, so, something like five years ago?

And it finally got here!

The FedEx driver said she rarely sees anybody so happy to get their delivery.

The pristine accessories compartment! 🙂

So I could finally finish!

I love this quilt so much. This is no delicate show quilt; this is a quilt to take out on picnics. Maybe not to a Shakespeare festival — the bright colors might dazzle the people up on stage. But I am so happy to see all these random scraps join together into something useful.

Nine patch and fence rails pattern, on the fence rails!

I like to convert the pictures into black and white to judge whether the value scheme is interesting. This filter is called “vivid landscape.”

This filter is called “newspaper.”

When these blocks were up on the design wall, I had a lot of fun moving them around and seeing which colors looked happy together. Initially I was going to do the quilting all with yellow thread, but that lasted for approximately one sixth of the quilt. Then I had to try different colors, and I really loved that. I used turquoise, raspberry, lime green, etc. over big chunks of the quilt. I’m not sure how much that color play shows up from a distance, but it kept my interest while I was quilting anyway.

Stitched with red.

Stitched with blue.

I used a bamboo (rayon) batting. I purchased it from a booth at the International Quilt Festival — the saleslady showed me a finished quilt, and it was so light and flexible, that I bought two battings. But mine didn’t turn out as light as I remembered. I would not use it again — not that there was anything wrong with it; it’s just that I can get the same effect from 100% cotton batting or 80/20 cotton/polyester, at less cost.

Even though these scraps were of differing weights and vintages, I didn’t have any problems washing and drying the quilt. I put three Color Catcher sheets in the washing machine, but very little color came off, and no seams pulled loose or anything. I was hoping for a little more puckering than I got.

I am looking forward to completing more scrap projects. Thank you to Kate and Gun for encouraging our ScrapHappiness! Please look at the other participants:

It’s gorgeous, an extremely happy example of how well scraps can play together. And I believe you’re right, Other People’s Scraps count as double and certainly balance out any small use of new (not yet scrapped!) fabrics. I can really tell you had fun with this one 🙂

What I particularly enjoy is that it’s not all fabric-based. Dawn makes jewellery, Jon does carpentry and electronics, and so on. I’d love some more non-textile contributors to bring a bit more balance.

Great minds think alike! I am just finishing up a picnic quilt – brightly colored, just begging to be used a picnics and concerts. My post on that goes up on 9/17.
I am also at the same spot with you and machines. I have been sewing on a 1960s Singer 457, while the quilting Brother machine remains balky. I am going to check out your Doreen link.
So much fun, there are others to visit ~

Yes, I think sometimes we even buy similar things at resale stores within a few days of each other!
Doreen has the Juki TL2010Q, which has a large throat, and a needle lift that goes extra high, but it only does a straight stitch. But for piecing and free motion, that is all you need, and she loves hers. So two or three years ago I tried one out at the International Quilt Festival, and I really loved it, and that was what I intended to get.
But as I was doing my last minute research, I saw that Leah Day had the TL2010Q, but then she got the Juki Exceed 400 — a little smaller, but it has like 160 different stitches. And that is the one she uses for everything when she shoots her videos. So I went up even one more model to the Exceed HZL F600. It comes with about 10 feet, including the walking foot, and an extension table. It has an automatic threader, and it clips threads for you too. And this was the feature that really interested me — you can set some of the stitches to “random” so it looks like you were free-motion quilting with finesse, yourself. I think it will last me for a long time!

Thank you. I wanted to stick to a simple quilting pattern to get it through the machine easily — there is LOTS of variation from shape to shape, but our eyes just kind of meld them all into a uniform pattern, so I thought it would turn out okay. I would be pickier if the quilt was for someone other than myself. 🙂

That’s true, and I’m really not a black and white person, I just like seeing how the values come out, to see if there are cool random combinations I would want to use again. Although that would involve some sort of planning….

If I was a funnier person, I could base a whole “Who’s On First?” routine on your comment — Husband: I thought you said we were having a picnic. Me: Yes, here it is. Husband: I thought you were at least bringing Chips and Salsa. Me: Yes, it’s right here. Him: Just Chips and Salsa? Me: You got it! 🙂

You are so GOOD! And I love to see the thinking and creative process before the end product. I had no idea there was so much depth to quilting. I mean I knew, but listening to you just made it real. I’m so very proud of your talent and enthusiasm.

You’re telling me, I’m already working on next Friday Fossicking!
Did you see these this week.. under Atlas Obscura, A Knit Map of the Cosmos, and in Interesting Blogs.. A Little History of Irish Linen? I thought of you when I added them to the blog this week.